Tag Archives: Cinema Reviews

Aside from my longer, pretentious and pontificating reviews I also like to chuck in a few quick-fire posts for films I’ve watched on cable, satellite TV, catch-up, DVD and cinema over the past few months. Think of them as movie reviews for the attention deficient or for the lazy bastards like me, who from time to time, skim-read before catching the mark at the bottom. As usual I accompany the reviews with marks out of eleven.

Horrifically poor and uneven Mad-Max-Texas-Chainsaw rip off which while very stylish is completely unwatchable with unlikeable characters. (Mark: 3 out of 11)

FRANTZ (2016) – SKY TV CINEMA

This touching WW2 set love story, shot on crisp black and white and deftly directed by Francois Ozon, breaks and mends one’s heart in equal measures. (Mark: 8 out of 11)

IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE (2016) – SKY TV CINEMA

Ethan Hawke excels in an offbeat, violent revenge Western which fails dramatically because of the irritating villain and over-familiar plot. (Mark: 6 out of 11)

KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD (2017) – SKY TV CINEMA

Guy Ritchie’s take on the Camelot legend suffers a total personality breakdown; neither committing fully to Charlie Hunnam’s geezer-King-Arthur (good) or the swords and sorcery subplots (bad!). (Mark: 6.5 out of 11)

LOVING (2016) – SKY CINEMA

Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton are never less than brilliant in their performances as a mixed race couple battling the racist law which strives to keep them apart. (Mark: 8.5 out of 11)

LOVELESS (2017) – PICTUREHOUSE CENTRAL – CINEMA

Raising bleakness to the level of poetry, this tragic Russian ‘missing child’ thriller is expertly constructed, but features two of the most selfish characters I’ve ever experienced in a movie. (Mark: 8 out of 11)

MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDERETTE (1985) – BFI BLU RAY

Classic 1980s British drama written by Hanif Kureishi features Daniel Day Lewis in an early role finds cultures, sexuality and politics clashing in dirty old South London. (Mark: 8 out of 11)

THE POST (2017) – WIMBLEDON ODEON – CINEMA

Steven Spielberg’s worthy freedom-of-speech drama is wonderfully shot and acted but felt too subtle and dramatically under-cooked for such an important moment in American history. (Mark: 7 out of 11)

SULLIVANS’ TRAVELS (1941) – SKY TV CINEMA

Preston Sturges brilliant comedy combines slapstick, romance and social satire as Joel McCrea’s pampered film director attempts to find the “meaning of life” in depression-hit America. (Mark: 10 out of 11)

WAKE IN FRIGHT (1971) – FILM FOUR

Cult existential Aussie psychological thriller finds Gary Bond’s English teacher attempting to escape his pitiful lot but falling further and further into a nightmarish outback abyss. (Mark: 8 out of 11)

It’s been a busy July for decent cinema releases and my Odeon Limitless card has been earning its dough somewhat! So I decided to compress the reviews into one manageable article and here they are in order of film preference with the usual marks out of 11!

**CONTAINS MINIMAL SPOILERS**

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (2017)

The final part in the prequel trilogy to the movie classic Planet of the Apes (1968) is an apocalyptic epic which had me gripped from start to finish. The story continues a few years after Koba’s rebellion caused further catastrophic events between humans and apes. We find Caesar and his guerrilla army attempting to protect their families from Woody Harrelson’s obsessive Kurtz-like figure The Colonel. When The Colonel causes irreparable damage to Caesar’s clan he sets out on an epic journey to free the apes from their fascistic human captors.

Aside from some convenient plotting for pace, director Matt Reeves and co-writer Mark Bomback have constructed a superb and compelling story which echoes the epic glory of cinema classics such as: The Searchers (1956), Dr Zhivago (1965), The Great Escape (1963), Spartacus (1960), Apocalypse Now (1979); and even the Biblical story of Moses. Andy Serkis is incredible once again as the noble Caesar and his determined, proud and intelligent character is someone we really root for. Special mention to Steve Zahn too who plays the likeable fool, Bad Ape, adding welcome comic relief to the heavy drama and pulsating action.

The cinematography from Michael Seresin’s lense is exquisite as snowy, beach and woodland landscapes provide a beautiful counterpoint to the chaos of war. Moreover, the action set-pieces are breath-taking with expertly staged composition and crisp editing while the motion-capture effects brilliantly support the story. In between the emotional moments hit home too as Matt Reeves and his team have fashioned a big film with an even bigger heart. Overall, this is one of the best cinematic experiences I have had all year as story, style, technology and emotion all work together to bring a fitting end to one of the best film trilogies committed to celluloid.

(Mark: 9.5 out of 11)

SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING (2017)

Oh no!! Not another Spiderman film!! But don’t panic as this one is presented from within the Marvel Universe! Following quickly after the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016), Tom Holland’s eager arachnid-kid literally bounces off the walls waiting for an assignment from his mentor Tony Stark (Downey Jnr in a cameo-plus-style appearance). However, he’s palmed off with overgrown babysitter Happy (Jon Favreau) and here’s when Peter Parker gets in a pickle by ignoring the adults and going out to play on his own.

With some tremendous set-pieces on the Staten Island Ferry and at the Washington Monument the action really fizzes along and raises the pulse throughout. Having said that the final explosive action set at night was poorly lit in my view rendering the action almost incomprehensible. In between, the high school scenes are very funny, notably Jacob Balaton’s Spidey sidekick, and Peter’s impatient and chaotic teen characterisation was very well drawn. Yet, it is Michael Keaton as the scavenging Vulture who absolutely steals the show. His performance as gritty, working-class and angry antagonist, Adrian Toomes adds shades of dramatic grey to an otherwise shiny and colourful narrative.

While not quite shaking the feeling of creative ennui and Spidey overkill, Homecoming still manages to hit many of the heights reached by Marvel’s sparkling stable of comic-book stars. Newish filmmaker Jon Watt, who directed the brilliant, low-budget film Cop Car (2015), handles it all with some verve and humour while delivering a humdinger of an end of second act dramatic twist. Having seen him recently in Wolf Hall (2015) and The Lost City of Z (2016), Tom Holland confirms himself a bona fide star, and is fantastic as everyone’s favourite neighbourhood spider.

(Mark: 8 out of 11)

IT COMES AT NIGHT (2017)

This haunting post-viral apocalyptic nightmare of a film drips with dread, suspense and bloody heartache throughout. It concerns Joel Edgerton’s everyman who, along with his wife and son, are attempting to survive in their battered and isolated woodland home. Paranoia is a key fuel for the characters’ lives as they follow strict rules of wearing gloves, washing hands, burning bodies and not leaving the house at night. When their space is invaded by Will (Christopher Abbott), his wife and child, the families all form an uneasy pact; yet it is not too long before peace gives way to disharmony and recrimination.

Trey Edward Schults directs the hell out of this low-budget gem with the skill of a way more experienced filmmaker. He creates an eerie, dark and hallucinatory vision which, while lacking in expositional clarity, more than makes up for in atmospheric visuals and human drama. The film glides along at a creepy pace and builds to what feels should be a cathartic and dramatic peak. However, the ending left me slightly disappointed as it was too poetic. I was okay with the mysterious narrative elements such as not knowing the cause of the virus, but I felt that a more traditional horror conclusion would have made it a much better film. Still, Schults is a director to watch out for but being a horror whore myself I wanted a bit more blood and guts at journey’s end.

(Mark: 7.5 out of 11)

THE BEGUILED (2017)

Colin Farrell portrays a Union Army deserter who hides out in an all-women boarding school featuring an excellent cast including: Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Kirsten Dunst, Oona Laurence, and Angourie Rice. It’s based on a novel by Thomas Cullinan and previously adapted into a 1971 film starring Clint Eastwood. Sofia Coppola’s subtle direction is impressive and this gothic drama has amazing cinematography, costume design and decent performances. However, I felt, by the end, the film was completely lacking in drama, eroticism and suspense.

The build-up over the first hour was fantastic but alas there were no major pay-offs to events relating to repressed sexuality and male-female divide. Moreover, thematically I found Coppola had nothing to say on the Civil War, sexual temptation or the damaging impact of patriarchy in a matriarchal world. She also fails to develop Farrell’s character as Faustian sexual threat and aside from some incredibly beautiful lighting and composition from Phillipe Le Sourd the story just peters out unsatisfactorily in my view.

Where do I begin with this film? Is it a comedy? Is it a satire? Is it a drama? Is it a horror film? Well, all of the above I would say and then some. For starters Isabel Huppert SHOULD have won the Oscar for best actress over the candy floss performance of Emma Stone. That genuinely was a first world artistic travesty! Huppert is absolutely sensational as the damaged anti-heroine who having been part of a horrific childhood event is then subjected to a vicious sexual attack in the very first scene. Thus, immediately the film brutalises the main character and makes the audience complicit with her subsequent actions which are complex to say the least. Because as a successful business-woman with a murky past she doesn’t go down the route of victim but rather something completely different.

As it’s directed by the rambunctious cinema satirist Paul Verhoeven I expected a difficult yet entertaining ride, however, this film at times was painful to watch and not what I would call easy entertainment at all. In fact, I’m surprised there hasn’t been more controversy or outrage from the liberal left in the queasy representation of sexual violence. Don’t get me wrong there is a lot to like about the film, especially: the darkly humorous screenplay; the hilarious representations of bourgeois-middle-class-family life; and the unexpected twists in the plots take the breath away. Yet, both male and female humiliation is at the heart of the story and Huppert’s character is kind of unlikeable, making it is difficult to get behind many of her decisions.

Overall, Elle has been laden with awards and received much critical acclaim and I can certainly confirm it is a brave and challenging character drama with very risky themes at its heart. My interpretation is that the writer and filmmakers have a nihilistic view of the French bourgeoisie and that humanity in general is full of damaged lunatics out for what they can get. Essentially too, Huppert’s character has been ruined by the actions of men and her motivations are borne out of trying to gain control of a horrific situation. Thus, I would recommend this film for those who prefer their cinema to challenge, shock and question the nature of sexual politics, rather than spoon feed us fluffy and patriarchal love stories. Because, mainly, this is not a love story but rather one of hate.

(Mark: 8 out of 11 for the film)
(Mark: 11 out of 11 for Isabelle Huppert)

I wasn’t a massive fan of the Brian Singer directed original X-Men series which began in the at the birth of the Millennium. However, as big budget popcorn fodder the early cinema offerings were highly entertaining and the idea of good and bad Mutants with special powers battling each other was very exciting. Of course, the biggest villains were the humans – politicians, scientists or military – attempting to control the mutant population as their kind were seen as dangerous outsiders; like multi-coloured and multi-skilled vermin who must be destroyed.

So, thematically, the X-Men comics and films are very strong as they represent the worst side of humanity which attempts to vanquish that which is different and does not fit into the hegemonic, natural and conventional norm. Indeed, human beings have (including Deadpool (2016) throughout ten films both attempted to weaponize or destroy the mutants, but it hasn’t worked! There are many more films to come.

Having said that this, I have read, is Hugh Jackman’s final adventure as Jimmy Howlett AKA the Wolverine. Jackman’s presence alone is worth the admission fee on Logan and his physical prowess and acting ability, allied with his jaded wreck of a persona make this outing an entertaining, if slightly over-long popcorn muncher. I had somewhat higher expectations based on other reviews and fan responses on social media I had read. Because here was a different Wolverine film apparently, full of depth and sadness and real emotions. Well, it has that but essentially it’s another chase movie with the requisite explosions, spiking deaths and mighty roars!

So while James Mangold and his army of writers package the usual generic and nefarious mercenaries (led by Boyd Holbrook) and a mad Scientist (Richard E. Grant) in pursuit of Wolverine, aged Professor X (brilliant Patrick Stewart) and a young girl (impressive newcomer Dafna Keen), we do get some swearing and fantastically brutal violence that really added to the enjoyment of the movie. The action scenes are also expertly handled and the surprising mutant baddie who appears is a frightening joy.

The opening scenes of the film were my favourite as Wolverine, Charles Xavier and their albino assistance Caliban – portrayed with pale compassion by an unrecognisable Stephen Merchant – are holed up on a desert-based industrial complex just trying to survive day-to-day. With Professor X’s health failing his mind is a ticking time-bomb as what seems to be Alzheimer’s takes a grip. I thought if most of the film had been like this it would have been a risky yet rewarding character drama. Indeed, the quieter moments are the best such as Logan putting his ‘father’ Xavier to bed and when they momentarily play “happy families” at the dinner table. Yet, it’s not long before the soldiers arrive again to spoil the peace and all hell breaks loose.

Overall, Logan (2017) is not as good as X-Men: First Class (2011) or Days of Future Past (2014) in terms of sheer cinematic joie de vivre in my opinion. However, the power of Jackman’s, Stewart’s and Merchant’s performances ground the film in a pathos and believable humanity many comic book adaptations lack. While I’m more of an Avengers fan it will be sad not to see Jackman and Stewart back in their iconic roles. While this is a very good X-Men genre film the opening scenes offered something far deeper than the chase movie we got. So, while it has some sad stuff it’s probably not as deep as everyone says it is. But it is an enjoyable film and a fitting finale for Jackman’s muscular-cigar-chomping-head-splitting-cynical-mutant-with-a-giant-adamantium-heart called the Wolverine. (Mark: 8 out of 11).

I’ve got to admit that I thought the last Bond film Spectre (2015) was extremely underwhelming for a committed fan to the franchise. It was overlong, disconnected and while the stunts were orchestrated brilliantly at times; overall, it lacked energy and a proper wow factor. Thus, when Keanu Reeves came along in the first chapter of John Wick I was fantastically surprised by the action, energy and fireworks on show. It was simple, effective, brutal action filmmaking of the highest order and more importantly got the box office buzz it deserved for sheer entertainment alone. A grieving man sets about killing the gangsters who killed his dog! I mean what more do you need from a popcorn movie? But despite the lack of plot depth the film had a terrific style, thudding soundtrack and some fantastically over-the-top kills.

John Wick 2 decides nothing is broken thus there is little to fix in the format. It is structured like a classic Bond movie complete with Q-style weapons shopping scene, as Wick this time must overcome all manner of bad guys fixing to square up a historical marker owed to an Italian crime lord. Brilliant set-piece after set-piece ensues as a battered Wick brings the noise again but this time to the streets of Rome and New York. It’s an undemanding story and probably overlong but the Assassin’s underworld is developed further with wit, colour and humour, and there are some fantastic cartoon violence on screen involving guns and pencils. Also, the final set-piece in the art installation is worth the admission alone and stylistically blew the latest Bond out of the water.

Keanu Reeves knows his limitations as an actor and revels in the physical demands, dextrous gunplay and dialogue-sparse role as he faces off against all manner of dark-suited foes. There’s also world weary pathos to his character as someone unable to escape his past crimes and history as a hired gun, thus the only way out is to kill absolutely everyone. Ultimately, John Wick 2 is like a comic-book Shakespeare – if you replaced ALL the words with bullets! I look forward to the Chapter 3 with great anticipation. (Mark: 8.5 out of 11)

HIDDEN FIGURES (2016)

Like the story of Desmond Doss in Hacksaw Ridge (2016) the narrative of Hidden Figures (2016), was all the more enjoyable because I knew absolutely nothing about the specific history, characters and outcome. Indeed, the human interest aspects of both stories were so rich and heartfelt it was impossible not to leave the cinema without a warm glow inside. Of course, Doss’ WW2 exploits were heroic and in more bloody surroundings while saving comrades lives during the battle of Okinawa. Yet, the endeavours of the three ladies who take focus in Hidden Figures – Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) – is also incredibly brave as during the Space Race with the Russians they broke down social barriers to help their country despite being segregated by the despicable laws in place during 1960s U.S.A.

Katherine, Dorothy and Mary are three exceptionally intelligent individuals who battle against the tide of white dominance and raise their game to contribute their expertise and intelligence to the project. The film has some great scenes notably when Katherine wipes the floor with the other Space Task staff over complex equations; Al Harrison (ever-reliable Kevin Costner) smashing down the segregated Blacks only toilet; and the sparky Mary challenging the law over whether she can attend business school. In fact, throughout there are many “fist-pump” moments for the characters. I mean, my mathematics skills are not great so I am always in awe when people are able to work out these bemusing and massive equations.

I am of the position that no person should be discriminated against whatever their background, culture, age, social status, religion, gender or sexual persuasion. Our worth as a human should be judged on our actions, what we do and how we treat others. So, this film encapsulates my philosophy totally. Indeed, what the writers, director Theodore Melfi and the amazing cast show in this story is that whatever the obstacles are we will succeed if we ignore any perceived differences and work together. Personally, I am not a fan of the whole space programme and arguably the politics of the day could perhaps have been featured slightly more, so, the film lacks the socio-political punch of say Selma (2015) or Malcolm X (1992). Yet, overall, this is an unashamed uplifting movie which invests so much empathy and compassion in our hidden heroines that no one can deny them their rightful place in history. (Mark: 8.5 out of 11)

TOP TWELVE BESTEST FILMS AND TV SHOWS OF 2016 – SCREENWASH SPECIAL BY PAUL LAIGHT

Well, here’s wishing you a prosperous New Year going forward! I’ve read somewhere that apparently 2016 wasn’t a vintage year for movies but I went to the cinema a lot and saw a whole host of cracking entertainment. Likewise, television budgets and production values continue to soar and there were some incredible shows produced too.

So, here are my TOP TWELVE films I saw at the cinema AND TOP TWELVE television shows watched/streamed. Some of the films and TV programmes may have bled from 2015 into 2016 release-wise; moreover, I have also included a couple of yet-to-be-released films I saw at the London Film Festival.

Remember dudes these are not necessarily the best films or shows but the ones I enjoyed the most. So, overall, it’s just my opinion, man.